How Can One Really Know His Life Purpose?

[sergeyrar]

Hi,

I find it really hard to pick just one thing that will be my main focus in life.

I believe that all people are born equal, and that no one has a pre-defined purpose or a set of tools or advantages given by birth (maybe except very few people).

I know that it is in my power to know everything I want, and to do anything I want... and that eventually I can master it all to the highest levels! (thanks to google)

So what's really the difference which one I pick?

I don't feel like I have any passion,  but I do know that I want to live a happy fulfilled life => But for that I need a life purpose in the first place.

I also came to realize that money won't ultimately fulfill me ( I now earn 40 times more than I've earned 3 years ago, no difference in fulfillment levels)

 

 

Please advise,

Thanks!

 

 

P.S 

Congrats for the launch of the forum :-)

 

Edited February 8, 2016 by sergeyrar

[Thomas Taschler]

I think it is important to set an initial goal, even if it's setting a goal like simply getting more money and become a millionaire.

On the way there, you look around and maybe you will find something more interesting, but further away.

In this case the initial goal will become a checkpoint

So basically when you climb the first mountain you get a better view of the things around. On the horizon you will find something else which looks interesting go there and repeat

Edited February 8, 2016 by Thomas Taschler

[sergeyrar]

Thanks for the advice!

 

It was my goal for a while, but it no longer motivates me for some reason... maybe because I've heard so many people say that it doesn't bring lasting happiness anyway - so why bother ??

Plus, I may not be a millionaire, but I'm not short on funds.. and can afford myself lots of things.. which I feel I don't need anyways .... lol 

[Leo Gura]

So basically you're suffering from the problem of not having a clear purpose.

Saying you can do anything is the same as saying you will do nothing.

The mind cannot move towards "anything", it needs a concrete vision that will generate motivation to wake up every morning and get to work. By being indecisive you remain like a ship without a sail.

So moral of the story is: make a decision and say "No!" to all options but ONE! At least for the time being. This is an emotionally challenging thing to do, which is why most people don't accomplish anything. They make the choice of not making a choice.

[JessW]

You're not alone in feeling this way! I feel as if I'm a passionate person but find it very difficult to find one thing I'm completely passionate about. I would love to figure that out! I'm just not sure where to begin! But the advice these nice gentlemen the have left are definitely helpful! Thank you for this post! Glad I'm not the only one! 

[sergeyrar]

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

So moral of the story is: make a decision and say "No!" to all options but ONE! At least for the time being. This is an emotionally challenging thing to do, which is why most people don't accomplish anything. They make the choice of not making a choice.

Thanks for the advice,

So in fact, it doesn't even matter which one I choose,  as long as I make a choice.

I've invested the last 8 years in my career as a network engineer, so maybe this is my purpose and I should just stick to it.

However, I don't have any clear goal, of what to accomplish in my career. I really want to invent something great, but have no idea what it is yet!

Perhaps it's just a matter of time until I find it ... ? 

 

[Thomas Taschler]

Yes, you should choose a goal, start moving towards it and then use the built up momentum to go ahead

Maybe there is something in your job as network engineer you would like to change.

[didirci]

This is a great question that I have been asking myself to the point where I felt quite frustrated for a while. I have always been interested in very different things and could not identify where I would be great and serve people the best. 

I personally think that if you are not sure about your life purpose this might be because you are probably interested in a number of areas as well. I have decided as my new year resolution to choose only one project and see where it takes me.

Without trials and mistakes there is no way you will be able to find what you actually love to do but this is only my personal opinion  so make a decision and give it a go, it might not be the right thing for you but at least you will be sure you can take it off your list....and regardless you will have learnt new skills and probably met new people who could lead you to your true purpose in the end!

Good luck

Edited February 9, 2016 by didirci

[Achilles]

8 hours ago, sergeyrar said:

So in fact, it doesn't even matter which one I choose,  as long as I make a choice.

 

Take care with that. It is not a random logical decision. First you have to go into a journey of self discovering to reach what you really ultimately want (love). I'm doing Leo's life purpose course what is helping me a lot with that. 

[Elijah]

Bro I hear you loud and clearly.  I feel the same exact way, where i'm good in a variety of things.  Why can't your passion be more than one thing.  The thing about it is that it has to be your passion.  Something that fulfills your soul, something that sets you on fire.  Something that you love doing and fulfills you.  If it isn't fulfilling you than i think it's wasting your time.  I don't know what my passion is, but i see people that's stepped into their passion and i see how it moves them and i want that.  There's a SUPER SOUL SUNDAY video that Oprah's doing that i think will be very helpful to you.  Her name is Brene Brown and she talked on this exact subject.

[sairys]

I am still searching for my passion too.

         So the thing is that i bet there are more people on the planet who don't even bother thing about it, not event talking about searching or finding it. I am saying that because i am really getting frustrated about it from time to time. Its nasty. You need to choose one thing, like should i, but it needs a lot of emotional control to make that decision and stick with it. Like Leo said. And most likely with will be more difficult to make as we grow. I think i am most scared of making the wrong choice and wasting my time, sort of. As a matter of fact that i am 20 years old, kind of young, 

    Finding your passion for me means to neglect your other areas of life for a while, let just say. So what that means is probably giving everything by working, studying and practice the "one thing". In the meantime you should not distract yourself with a lot of side activities. That is pretty annoying, and i am really confused about it. How to manage all your ares of life at the same time during that "finding purpose of your life" process and not only, maybe developing yourself furthermore and so on.

Edited February 9, 2016 by sairys

[Quadking]

@sergeyrar

I know how you feel man. I was in the same position twice.  I'm also a network engineer and IT support tech, I was working for a company when I realized I was highly dissatisfied with my life direction.   Leaving the job was hard, because I was very comfortable financially.  I started my own IT company immediately, and while it took years to be comfortable again, I felt alive.  Life was a roller coaster of ups and downs and it was really fun to produce something of my own.    It gave me the freedom to really focus on myself, get into meditation, and start other ventures.  These new ventures included auto tuning, motocross, house remodeling / flipping, personal fitness self help and other seemingly random hobbies that turned into micro businesses.  It was nothing focused in particular, but things that came of interest.  I'm now currently 1 year into owning a construction company and running my IT business of 8 years,  and having a good time with it.  Perhaps my life purpose is to be an Enterprenuer lol.  Or perhaps I'm doing this whole career thing wrong, but I don't feel like I have a "job", life just happens, I do what I'm interested it, take care of responsibilities, and the money just arrives.   I'm not sure if any of that makes sense, or is any help, but good luck to you !

[Aldo Marchand]

I think one easy way to find you life purpose is going into the direction of that seems kinda natural for you.

Our natural abilities are important to find the correct path on the long run and also to keep a consistent 

Pace through the direction of our bets into the future.

Try to find out what you really believe for the future and combine with the possible activities around that.

[sergeyrar]

10 hours ago, Aldo Marchand said:

I think one easy way to find you life purpose is going into the direction of that seems kinda natural for you.

Our natural abilities are important to find the correct path on the long run and also to keep a consistent 

Pace through the direction of our bets into the future.

Try to find out what you really believe for the future and combine with the possible activities around that.

I don't think we have natural abilities.. all of our abilities are acquired and can be learned.

For instance, once I used to really suck at mathematics... once I've put some effort in it, I got really good and even started loving it.

I feel that life purpose should be something very challenging to achieve, that would add something of value (from our perspective) to the world or the universe.

[Ayla]

Your ultimate purpose in life is to be happy ! 

[Dann]

I think that you shouldn't seek hapinness, because it's just a sign that everything is going right, and it never last long. You have to find out what is your natural talent and develop it. 

[sergeyrar]

45 minutes ago, Ayla said:

Your ultimate purpose in life is to be happy ! 

Isn't one of the ingredients to a happy life is a life purpose? D:

This is the ultimate goal I agree.

[CirclesofMastery]

On 2/9/2016 at 8:12 AM, sergeyrar said:

I believe that all people are born equal, and that no one has a pre-defined purpose or a set of tools or advantages given by birth (maybe except very few people).

However, I don't have any clear goal, of what to accomplish in my career. I really want to invent something great, but have no idea what it is yet!

Perhaps it's just a matter of time until I find it ... ? 

 

Dude where you are at the moment you have two choices

A) Do fucking nothing

B) Use EVERY fucking resource you have available to you to  forward you in any direction (in reality you have no other choice than this one)

Just taking action, growing or forward action, WILL result in unique changes for you. You should be constantly making mental notes of which avenues you feel are opening up to you by the actions you take. You can't sit on the fence, there is no middle ground despite what your ego may tell you. e.g. "i'm calculating my options for the right moment so when it feels right i will move towards it".

*Though experiment* When you think about it all you can ever ask of yourself if you want to get to a new place in life is to take action in a direction you have no experience in, if growth is your ultimate goal until the day you die. Any other method is absurd and illogical. How can you change and move into something you already are!?! That would be like being in two places at once. You can only ever go from unknowing to knowing.

 

Imagine you are a hunter with a shotgun (you and your gun being all your energy, resources and actions)  in the woods (woods being the earth, holding within it every possible outcome for you) and you're trying to hunt down the ultimate beast (The beast is your ultimate life purpose). 

Of course at the start you have only just entered the woods with no idea where to start, the only thing you can do is take action and walking into the woods keep walking and walking, take a snack out (Cliff bar) and continue. Snap! you hear a branch snap directly ahead in the distance, pull up your shotgun and fire. You hear this roar in the distance (After throwing actions, energy and resources into seemingly nowhere you can now sense the obviousness of taking a certain direction) and you now have bolt of energy and chase down the beast for now you have a direction to travel, the closer you get your killer instinct will kick in,  you keep firing shots and the direction and clarity of the action you are taking don't seem at all random anymore. You are now on your purpose. Nothing can stop you and before you know it you're standing over the ultimate beast you have been chasing.

But something changes inside of you, you now are bored of this beast and want to chase down another! but now it is different. You now have the experience of looking for something with no clear direction and from your experience you now know that focusing on the process and journey is the key. 

the most important thing is to take actions in any direction of growth when you have no idea of your path. This is the ONLY thing you can do.

Keep reminding yourself of your own mortality and that the only way is to go after your purpose ruthlessly.

 Br 

CoM

 

[abrakamowse]

Learning that we have no purpose in life helped me to do whatever I want to do. I see it like if we were a blank paper where you can do whatever you imagine. And then, if you are not happy with what you just achieve, you can change!!! hehehehe....

Try to do whatever you enjoy, there must be something you enjoy. Make that your purpose in life.

:-)

[quickDopamine]

Hot Damn! Just from this one post, and the replies, I can tell this forum was a great idea.
I went to Church, even though I don't believe in God, just to have discussions such as this.

I'm currently focusing on becoming a writer, but it isn't something I REALLY want to do. Therefore I find it hard to continue to do it on a daily basis.

I agree with Leo though in that you should pick something. It will get the ball rolling and you may find something else you love along the way. Not doing anything is painful and doesn't do your self-esteem any favors.

Good Luck with your search for purpose!

I wish we could click our fingers and be enlightened but until then I'm going to build myself up so I can eventually let go.


Congrats on the forum Leo.